Blue Mist
“A good journalist doesn’t always play friendly – in fact, they mostly don’t”
Chunkyz Shisha Lounge is home away from home for Jihad, Rashid and Asif, a space where community whispers are heard, jokes are shared, and new hustles are born.
When aspiring journalist Jihad wins the chance to make his own documentary, he sets out to give voice to his community and challenge the usual stereotypes that fill the airwaves. But in a media landscape that profits off fear, how far can one voice really go?
Olivier Award-nominated Blue Mist is a sharp, darkly funny story about truth, trust and ambition. Written by Mohamed-Zain Dada (Dizzy, Speed), directed by Milli Bhatia (Liberation Squares, Speed, seven methods of killing kylie jenner).
An urgent, vital project”
★★★★, Broadway World
The comedy zings”
★★★★, The Guardian
Originated at the Royal Court Theatre, London
Venue
Presented by
Boundless Theatre, in association with Tamasha
Written by
Mohamed-Zain Dada
Directed by
Milli Bhatia
Price
Special Offers
Aged 16 to 25 Discounted tickets are available for this production for registered 16-25 members for performances on Wed 22 Jul. T&Cs apply – Find Out More
Multi-Buy: Save 10% when you book 3 or more productions in one transaction.
Max 2 discounted tickets per customer, and must be booked for three different productions. Some productions excluded. T&Cs apply – Find Out More
Rep Friends
- Bronze Friends: Save 10% per production, or 20% when booking 3 or more productions in the same transaction, with no transaction fees.
- Gold/Silver Friends & Rep Patrons: Save 15% per production, or 25% when booking 3 or more productions in the same transaction, with no transaction fees.
Max 4 discounted tickets per friend. Multi-buy must be booked for three different productions. Some productions excluded T&Cs apply – Find Out More
Access Performances
Captioned: Fri 24 Jul 7.45pm
Running Time
Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, without an interval.
Age Guidance
14+
Please note, no under 5s will be admitted to the auditorium.
Content Advice
Please note, this production contains adult themes including references to drugs, violence, suicide and death, as well as racism and islamophobia.
This production also contains frequent use of haze, loud music and sudden loud noises.
Cast
Azan Ahmed
Theatre credits include: Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Shakespeare Company), Statues (Bush Theatre), After Sex (Arcola Theatre), 10 Nights (Omnibus Theatre & Tour), The Father & The Assassin (National Theatre), The Tempest (Shakespeare’s Globe), Conspiracy (New Diorama Theatre & Underbelly Edinburgh), This Isn’t A True Story & Cacophony (Almeida Young Company)
Television credits include: Just Act Normal, Code Of Silence, Van Der Valk (Series 3 & 4), Casualty, Count Abdulla, Mood, Hope Street & Doctors
Film credits include: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Photo by Michael Shelford.
Kashif Ghole
Training: Arts Ed
Stage credits include: Pi in Life of Pi (Asia Tour), Brown Boys Swim (UK Tour/ North Wall)
Television credits includes: Silent Witness (BBC), Piglets (ITV), Casualty (BBC)
Workshops include: Friday at the Masjid (The RSC)
Omar Bynon
Omar is an actor, writer and workshop facilitator from East London.
Theatre credits include: Duck (Arcola), Julius Caesar (Globe), 2036: Pawn (Bush), Heartfelt & Poet’s Manifesto (Stratford East).
Omar was the lead role in Blue Mist at the Royal Court as well as appearing in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR & THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL at the RSC.
Creative Team
Writer
Mohamed-Zain Dada
Mohamed-Zain Dada
Mohamed-Zain Dada, goes by the name Zain, is a playwright and screenwriter.
His first writing credit, Emily (Glitched) In Paris was for the Royal Court Theatre’s Living Newspaper series in March 2021. He is an alumnus of BBC Drama Room’s 2022-23 cohort and NFTS x Left Bank Pictures inaugural Diverse Writer’s Room Programme 2024. Zain’s debut play, Blue Mist premiered at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre in October 2023 to 4 and 5 star reviews and was nominated for an Olivier Award. His second play, Dizzy premiered at the Sheffield Playhouse (co-produced by Theatre Centre), and his third play, SPEED (2025), was one of the best-selling main house shows at The Bush Theatre of the past 3 years.
Director
Milli Bhatia
Milli Bhatia
Milli is an award winning stage and screen director, and dramaturg from East London.
She is an Associate Artist at Synergy, Creative Advisor at Brixton House and panellist for The Women’s Prize for Playwriting. She was Associate Director at The Royal Court Theatre until December 2023.
Before this, she was Trainee Director and then Literary Associate at The Royal Court, Associate Artist at The Bush Theatre, Resident Assistant Director at Birmingham Rep and Creative Associate at The Gate Theatre.
She is a two-time Olivier Award nominee, for her productions of seven methods of killing kylie jenner and Blue Mist, both premiered at The Royal Court Theatre. Her other work has been nominated for Visionary Arts Awards, Off West End Awards, EE Actas and Asian Media Awards, and her work has both received West End and international transfers.
Designer
Tomás Palmer
Tomás Palmer
Collaboration and conversations lie at the heart of Tomás’ process and their work spans both unusual and conventional spaces.
Tomás was a 2021 Linbury Prize for stage design award winners and was the production designer on the Scottish BAFTA and BIFA Award winning short film Too Rough in 2022.
They trained at The Glasgow School of Art and recently completed an MA at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Taking the ecological crisis seriously and finding the most sustainable way to produce their designs is a large part of Tomás’ process.